Beach Boys through the years – The Beach Boys pose around a dragster in London's West End during a visit to England in 1964 to promote their new single 'When I Grow Up" in November 1964

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Beach Boys through the years – The Beach Boys pose for a photo in 1964.

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Beach Boys through the years – The pop group at an EMI Records reception in London, November 1966.

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Beach Boys through the years – Al Jardine, left, and Bruce Johnston in concert at the Finsbury Astoria in London, November 1966.

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Beach Boys through the years – The Beach Boys meet members of the press the day after a concert at the Finsbury Astoria in London, November 1966.

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Beach Boys through the years – Carl Wilson performs guitar and vocals and Dennis Wilson drums in a live performance, July 1975.

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Beach Boys through the years – The Beach Boys perform during the pregame festivities before the New York Giants take on the Denver Broncos in the 1987 Super Bowl at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

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Beach Boys through the years – The Beach Boys perform during the pregame celebrations of the 1988 Super Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

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Beach Boys through the years – Singers Mike Love, left, and Bruce Johnston perform during the NBA All-Star Saturday Night festivities in February 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

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Beach Boys through the years – Brian Wilson performs during the opening night for the 2008 Sydney Festival in the Domain in January 2008 in Sydney.

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Beach Boys through the years – The Beach Boys perform at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards held at Staples Center in February 2012 in Los Angeles.

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Beach Boys through the years – The group poses for a photo before they perform the national anthem on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium as the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in April 2012 in Los Angeles. The Beach Boys are celebrating their 50th anniversary, along with Dodger Stadium.

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Beach Boys through the years – Musicians Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love and David Marks perform during the Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Concert Tour at the Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater in April 2012 in Tucson, Arizona.

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Beach Boys through the years – Al Jardine, Mike Love and David Marks perform during the 2012 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April 2012 in New Orleans.

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Beach Boys through the years – Singer Mike Love leads The Beach Boys at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, May 2012.

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Story highlights

Beach Boys concluding 50th anniversary year

Band's distinctive sound has permeated pop culture

Band has known its share of setbacks, but music is immortal

In the beginning was the sun.

It was followed by the world and the surf, little birds and good vibrations, girls and cars and fun, fun, fun.

And to set it all to music? The Beach Boys.

On Tuesday, Capitol Records releases "Made in California," a Beach Boys boxed set that wraps up the legendary band's 50th anniversary year. The set includes all the hits, of course -- "Surfin' USA," "I Get Around," "Help Me Rhonda," "Good Vibrations," "Do It Again," ad glorious infinitum -- but also a variety of hidden gems, including tracks from the "Smile" sessions (which finally saw the light of day in late 2011), demos, alternate takes and even an essay Brian Wilson wrote in 1959.

The essay, incidentally, is called "My Philosophy." "The satisfaction of 'a place in the world' seems well worth a sincere effort to me," Wilson wrote at 17, suggesting that he wanted to make his place with music.

Little did he know that his philosophy -- let's call it a vision, really -- would influence popular culture, period.

By crossing the rock 'n' roll of Chuck Berry with the tight harmonies of the Four Freshmen, adding an echo of Phil Spector and focusing on the sunny landscape of Southern California, the Beach Boys -- brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine -- invented a whole world.

It was a world that wasn't always good to them. The three Wilson brothers were haunted by the violence of their father, Murry. Love and Brian Wilson were at odds for many years. (They may be again, after the 50th-anniversary tour ended with some acrimony.) Dennis Wilson struggled with substance abuse and died in 1983. Brian, of course, has had his own very well-publicized demons.

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But through it all has been the music, full of vulnerability ("The Warmth of the Sun," "In My Room," "Don't Worry Baby"), confidence ("I Get Around," "Do It Again"), grace ("God Only Knows," "Wonderful") and celebration ("This Whole World," "Surf's Up").

It's an instantly identifiable sound, even when done by others. All it takes is jangling guitars, a plinking piano and, oh, those heavenly harmonies.

"I've often felt that I was on a musical mission, to spread the gospel of love through records," Wilson once said.